20170701007519A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Chatsworth, GA · July 1, 2017

Date: July 1, 2017 · 16:44 local
Place: Chatsworth, GA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N44HJ
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA17FA222
Reported as: Piper PA-23-250
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 4
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

N44HJRegistration cancelled Sep 6, 2019 · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-3303 · Built 1966 Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On July 01, 2017, approximately 1645 local time a twin engine Piper aztec PA23-250 aircraft with four persons on board (no survivors) came apart in flight outside the city of Chatsworth, Georgia located in murray county Georgia. Pilot flew into a thunderstorm on a northeast heading attempting to reach mcminn county airport [mmi], located at athens, Tennessee. Weather at the time of crash was reported by witnesses heavy rain, winds, with lightning and thunder.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 01, 2017, APPROXIMATELY 1645 LOCAL TIME A TWIN ENGINE PIPER AZTEC PA23-250 AIRCRAFT WITH FOUR PERSONS ON BOARD (NO SURVIVORS) CAME APART IN FLIGHT OUTSIDE THE CITY OF CHATSWORTH, GEORGIA LOCATED IN MURRAY COUNTY GEORGIA. PILOT FLEW INTO A THUNDERSTORM ON A NORTHEAST HEADING ATTEMPTING TO REACH MCMINN COUNTY AIRPORT [MMI], LOCATED AT ATHENS, TENNESSEE. WEATHER AT THE TIME OF CRASH WAS REPORTED BY WITNESSES HEAVY RAIN, WINDS, WITH LIGHTNING AND THUNDER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA17FA222Accident · 4 fatalField investigationFinal reportChatsworth, GAThe noninstrument-rated pilot's continued visual flight rules flight into adverse weather conditions, which resulted in an encounter with severe convective activity, spatial disorientation, a loss of airplane control, and a subsequent in-flight breakup.…Jul 1, 2017 · Destroyed